The present invention concerns a safety apparatus and method used in a gate security system to prevent injury to a user of the system. More particularly it relates to a method and apparatus that automatically shuts off power to the gate security system when a user of the system manually opens or closes the gate.
Systems that control and limit access to a secure area are very common in our current day and age. They have wide spread use in gated communities, apartment complexes and single-family residences. These security systems consist of enclosing the selected secure area with some type of barrier and limiting access to the secure area to selected entry-exit points where those wishing to enter or leave can be screened to determine if they meet the criteria of those who can have access to the secure area. Typically, the entry-exit points have a movable barrier controlled by a guard or an automated system to allow entry or exit from the secure area.
In systems manned by a guard, upon the arrival at the barrier the person desiring entry will provide some proof to the guard that they are authorized to enter. Upon determining that the individual is authorized to enter the guard will open the gate, generally by pressing a gate open button so the gate motor can open the gate or alternatively when the individual either on foot or in a vehicle approaches the gate a sensor triggers the opening and then subsequent closing of the gate when the individual or vehicle passes into the secure area.
In an automated system without a guard the individual seeking entry will initiate the opening of the gate by a variety of means, these can include use of a transponder that transmits a coded signal to the gate opening mechanism or entering a code on a key pad to initiate opening of the gate. Other automated gate entry systems provide for calling on a communication device provided at the gate to another individual at a different location that has authority to open the gate with some type of remote control device.
Gate entry systems are used in a wide variety of circumstances including systems for allowing individuals or motor vehicles to have ingress or egress to the secure area. However, since all of these systems are automated to one extent or another, including motors to open and close the gate or barrier, they are all subject to malfunction or failure at one time or another. Often the system is located in a remote location. Thus, they have back up mechanisms or other alternative means to assure that the system can still function and allow them to be used even in the event of failure. One of the alternative means provided in many of these gated security systems, in particular those that rely on a motor to open and close the gate, is a mode of manually opening and closing of the gate. One means is to provide some type of release mechanism that detaches the gate from the automated system. Once detached the gate can than slide or swing freely depending on whether it is a sliding or swinging gate. The trouble with this alternative is that once the gate is detached from the system and allowed to swing or slide freely all of the safety and security systems have been overridden. In order to put the systems back on line the gate must be serviced. This typically requires a service call by a technician to assure the gate is properly reconnected to the system.
An alternative that does not require the detaching of the gate from the automated system involves manually opening the gate with the systems gate opening and closing mechanism. This typically involves cranking the gate open or closed by inserting a shaft of a hand or power crank into a crank shaft receptacle located on a pulley or other rotary member used to transfer power from the gate motor to the gate to move the gate. With this alternative the gate operating mechanism remains unaltered and if the problem causing the failure of the system is transitory, i.e. the result of a local power failure, there is no need for a service call to reset the gate mechanism. However, this alternative has a serious problem in that if the automatic system starts to function while the gate is being manually cranked open or closed, such as the gate motor starts, the individual operating the crank might be injured, perhaps seriously or the system itself might be damaged.
Thus, what is needed is a system and method for manually opening and closing a security that does not require detaching the gate form the automated systems but which allows the safe injury free opening and closing of the gate.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus that will allow an individual to safety manually open or close a security gate that forms part of an automated security gate system. It is another object of the present invention to provide a failsafe safety system that automatically shuts down an automated gate control system while the gate is being manually opened or closed. It is an additional object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus that does not require the system to be reset after it is manually opened or closed. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a safety system that functions while the gate is being manually opened or closed, that is efficient and easy to manufacture and integrate into new or existing automatic gated security systems.
The invention accomplishes the above and other purposes by providing an automated security gate with a safety mechanism having: a security gate movable between a closed and an open position to thereby deny or allow access to a secure area; a security gate controller which controls the opening and closing of said gate in response to an open or close signal; a motor mechanically connected to said gate which opens or closes said gate upon receipt of an appropriate signal from said gate controller; a mechanism for manually opening and closing the gate when necessary; and a power shut off device which shuts off power to said gate motor when said gate is being manually opened or closed.
In a variation of present invention the power shut off device is a switch response to a crank shaft being inserted in a crank shaft receptacle on the end of the rotating shaft of the motor wherein when the crank shaft is inserted into the receptacle and turned manually opens or closes the gate depending on the direction the crank is turned.
In yet another variation of the present invention the power shut off device is a leaf responsive to a crank shaft being inserted in a crank shaft receptacle on the end of the rotating shaft of the motor wherein when the crank shaft is inserted into the receptacle and turned manually opens or closes said gate depending on the direction the crank is turned, the leaf being retractably pushed out of a path of the crank shaft and thereby engaging a power shut off switch of the motor.
In another aspect of the invention it provides a method for providing a user safe system for manually opening or closing a security gate in which the automatic opening and closing apparatus has malfunctioned including the steps of: manually opening or closing a security gate when it fails to open or close do to a malfunction of the system; shutting of the power to the automatic gate opening system as soon as the step of manually opening or closing the gate commences; and turning the power back on as soon as soon as the step of manually opening or closing the gate ceases.